Ideas to rig a half noseband

[shelbyleanna09]

Hello!
I’m currently leasing a mare that had to have a lower molar removed earlier this year. After the surgery she healed in such a way that she has a bump on her jaw where the noseband should sit. The vet said the bump may or may not go away as she continues to heal. She’s perfectly happy working/jumping without a noseband.

The problem is is that she’s a hunter and USEF requires a noseband. Even adjusted lower than it should be she still seems sensitive to the noseband. Does anyone have an idea for how to rig a half noseband? Perhaps connected to the cheek pieces? Or know of a bridle made like this?

[Jackie_Cochran]

I use Micklem bridles. I cut off the chin strap, but then I do not show.

The horses I ride (riding school horses) all went better when I cut the chin strap off.

[Tiramit]

I’ve never needed one of these myself, but my first thought was to take a standard noseband, cut the tails off, and either stitch the rest directly to the cheek pieces or have a hole punched and use it to tie to the cheekpieces with a sturdy but invisible thread. Maybe brown braiding thread?

[Gamma]

Just checking, is there a point you can loosen it to where it no longer bothers her?

How big is the bump? How about adding a little padding on either side of the bump so the noseband sits off of the skin there?

[shelbyleanna09]

My current noseband still rubs even on the loosest hole. I had considered looking for a larger alternative tho! I also considered a drop noseband and adjusting it to sit above the bit. Not sure if USEF would allow that tho (since drop nosebands aren’t allowed)

The lump is about the size of half a golf ball so fairly big for the location. I’ll look into padding options

[Gamma]

Accidental double post.

[Training_Cupid]

Schockemohle Delta has the noseband connected to the cheek pieces, but there is still a strap under the chin. Not sure how floppy it would be if you removed the parts under the chin.

https://www.doversaddlery.com/equitus-delta-bridle/p/X1-120157/

[mvp]

Not sure this would be legal for the hunters, but what about this, with the top jaw strap taken off?

https://www.ridingwarehouse.com/Kava…yABEgK5ifD_BwE

[NotAtTheBarn]

I would buy her an oversized noseband that matches the rest of her bridle and just fit it super loosely for shows.

[RedHorses]

Are you actually going to be able to show this year?

I ask because my horse cracked a molar in his lower jaw and developed a very large lump on his jaw. It took a long time but was significantly reduced in a year. It continued to shrink for years and got to the point of being small enough that I had to know where it was to feel it. It’s been completely gone for years at this point.

[shelbyleanna09]

We have a couple local shows that are still running but I likely won’t get to any rated shows this fall. Hopefully her lump will continue to go down. Thanks for sharing your experience!

@RedHorses

Are you actually going to be able to show this year?

I ask because my horse cracked a molar in his lower jaw and developed a very large lump on his jaw. It took a long time but was significantly reduced in a year. It continued to shrink for years and got to the point of being small enough that I had to know where it was to feel it. It’s been completely gone for years at this point.

[Pally]

@mvp

Not sure this would be legal for the hunters, but what about this, with the top jaw strap taken off?

https://www.ridingwarehouse.com/Kava…yABEgK5ifD_BwE

They make all leather similar designs now too
https://www.rideawaystore.com/en-CA/…BoC6VoQAvD_BwE

Again, not sure about legality/conventionality in the hunter ring, but it may at least be a comfortable option for your mare.

[mvp]

@Pally

They make all leather similar designs now too
https://www.rideawaystore.com/en-CA/…BoC6VoQAvD_BwE

Again, not sure about legality/conventionality in the hunter ring, but it may at least be a comfortable option for your mare.

That could work!

[173north]

@Pally

They make all leather similar designs now too
https://www.rideawaystore.com/en-CA/…BoC6VoQAvD_BwE

Again, not sure about legality/conventionality in the hunter ring, but it may at least be a comfortable option for your mare.

At minimum I’d swap the browband for a straight one and I’d really hesitate to show hunters in that at anything other than a local, local schooling show. Even there a conservative judge might ding you. You could always come to the dark side and do jumpers for a season!

Is something customizable within budget? I’d look for a small business that still custom makes bridles by hand and send them some photos of the bump and ask what they recommend. Maybe these folks are a place to start, I don’t know anything about them but it seems they could make something up for you: https://www.equusport.com/faqs/custom-bridles/

If attaching the front of a noseband to the cheekpieces doesn’t work, maybe you could cut off the chin and buckle of a nose band and stitch on something very very very soft, and colored to match her so it’s less visible. A little strip of dark colored sheepskin w/ the fuzzy bit against her face? Maybe instead of a buckle it could literally just velcro under her chin, fit super loosely? If she goes fine at home without a noseband you don’t need it to do anything but keep the front of the noseband from flying up and hitting her in the face!

[CHT]

I am curious why the horse has a painful bump. I boarded a horse that had an upper and lower molar removed, and we dealt with infections after her upper molar, but the lower healed with very little issue, and only a very minor bump, that wasn’t sensitive.

I wonder if instead of trying for a noseband that doesn’t go under the jaw, maybe you need to think of something with a larger surface area so any potential pressure is more spread out over the area?

[TBKite]

I’ve got no ideas for a noseband, but if the lump is actually sore to pressure a month or two after the extraction I would be concerned about a broken root tip or other ongoing source of infection.

[skrgirl]

As far as padding goes, you can use a halter fleece under the jaw on a loose nose band.

[Tigers_in_Texas]

This probably won’t help, unless you decide to do jumpers temporarily until the lump goes down, but a figure 8 noseband would probably work perfectly (you could just keep it kind of loose since it sounds like your horse doesn’t actually need the action of a figure 8).